Passengers hurt when paddlewheel Belle of Louisville strikes barge

LOUISVILLE— Several passengers aboard the Belle of Louisville suffered minor injuries Saturday when a strong wind pushed the steamboat into a parked barge on the Ohio River, authorities said.

The accident happened about 1:45 p.m. about a quarter-mile north of Harrods Creek.

Vince Luney, a 911 supervisor, said there were minor injuries, but he didn't know how many passengers were involved.

Belle of Louisville chief executive Linda Harris told The Courier-Journal that about 300 people — many of them elderly — were aboard the steamboat and that six to eight people suffered minor injuries.

David Karem, executive director of Waterfront Development Corp., which manages the Belle for the city, said the steamboat was pushed into the barge by a strong wind while it was on a public cruise that started about noon.

The Belle suffered paddlewheel damage and lost power.

"The paddlewheel is pretty wrecked," said Maj. Kevin Tyler of the Harrods Creek Fire Department.

Two tugs guided the Belle back toward downtown, where it arrived about 3:30, officials said.

This story was originally published October 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Passengers hurt when paddlewheel Belle of Louisville strikes barge."